Documentary looks at our use of plastics

The Western North Carolina Alliance is hosting a screening of the award-winning environmental documentary “Bag It” at UNC-Asheville’s Highsmith Center at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16.

Try going a day without plastic. Plastic is everywhere and infiltrates our lives in unimaginable and frightening ways. This touching and often flat-out-funny film follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier, who is admittedly not a tree hugger, as he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world. Although his quest starts out small, Jeb soon learns that the problem extends past landfills to oceans, rivers and ultimately human health.

The average American uses about 500 plastic bags each year, for about 12 minutes each. This single-use mentality has led to the formation of a floating island of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean more than twice the size of Texas.

The film explores these issues and identifies how our daily reliance on plastic threatens not only waterways and marine life, but human health, too.

There will be a recycling drop off for plastic bags. You are also encouraged to bring your own cups for light refreshments to reduce the amount of plastic waste.